Photos by: Brandie Story
After seeing Z.Z Top at The Palace last Monday, I truly believe that there are some things in this dark cruel world that will never, nor should, grow out of fashion. Over the past 4 decades, Bill Gibbons, Dusty Hill, and drummer Frank Beard, who ironically enough does not have three foot long facial hair, have been perfecting the very essence of Rock n' Roll music. The Palace was filled to the rim with decades of loyal Z.Z. Top followers who were still head banging as if they still possessed hair. I've never seen a band do so little and still put the cool in school in terms of putting on a great performance. Gibbon and Hill with their synchronized hip swings and their hand dance gestures, exempted a sunbeam of youthful personality despite only being able to see about 1/6 of their faces.
With the overwhelming clutter of music that bombards today's internet surge for that next pop slash rock slash folk slash Christian slash indie power group, its easy to overlook the good o' fashion Rock n' Roll that thrives on. Three songs into their set, Z.Z. Top performed their newly released single "Flying High" followed by the very famous "Gimme All Your Lovin".
Being 40 years in the making, it was so great to see just how much these guys still enjoy doing what they do. God knows how many times they've played many of their hits and to see them get on stage and perform as if "Gimme All Your Lovin" was released just yesterday was something remarkable.
Z.Z. Top stands for a symbol of Rock n' Roll that says never let go of your sense of youth and don't ever pass up the chance to pursue your freedoms. Whatever they may be. Hair or no hair.
